Thursday, May 1, 2008

White Flag

This is probably the last (intrauterine) picture of my boy:

It's not the best picture, not least because he's a bit squished up in there and he wouldn't hold still and so what might otherwise be a sweet sideways view of his wee face turned out to be a sweet sideways view of a wee face with two noses and four eyes. Which, you know, wouldn't stop us from loving him with all our hearts, but still. It doesn't matter, though, two eyes or four: it's a picture. It's him.

This picture was taken two days ago, when I was 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant. His estimated weight, at time of picture taking?

7 LBS 12 OZ.

With over three weeks to go until my supposed due date, he weighs 7 lbs and 12 oz. And he's been trying to punch and kick his way out for days now. No wonder my body has started advanced labor training already: I just might be facing childbirth on a par with the Battle of Thermopylae, where my nether regions are the pass at Thermopylae and this child is the Persians.

Whether I end up like Leonidas remains to be seen. At this point, I'm already conquered, so it doesn't really matter, does it? Take the pass, my fetal Xerxes, and just try not to break anything, please.

55 Comments:

I don't get it. I had a million and one pics of my twins while I was pregnant and none of them looked like that. I'm sure he's gonna be a cute little fellow though. Just look at that beautiful girl of yours. Maybe he'll go gently into that dark night on his grand appearance instead of busting through like he's a rock star partying in a hotel room...Best of luck for a speedy and pain-free delivery!!

I went into "false labor" a lot before my daughter was born. I made a point of telling my doctor this at an appointment. They made a note of it on my chart.

Two weeks later when my water does break, but not all the way...they don't believe me that I am in labor. Cause of the stupid note on the chart. HELLO...it is the middle of the afternoon and I have had contractions since yesterday afternoon. I AM IN LABOR, GIVE ME A PLACE TO LAY DOWN.

But anyways...I totally thought you were going to compare this picture to the recent one of jesus on the cross in utero. (Your baby is cuter.)

ummm my last bio-physical profile of stinkerbell was 3 days before i had her at 7.5 weeks premature and she weighed 5.4 lbs...so hopefully you have the little guy soon Catherine.sending you beautiful birth vibes.....LAVANDULA

I just had to comment on your nephew (sorry to do it outside of that post). My sister-in-law's nephew has the same form of MD. He was diagnosed when he around 6 or so. Given same horrible prognosis. He is now 18. All the things they told his parents he would never do--college, live on his own--he is now doing. Have hope.

Yeah, the radiologist told us that the estimate could be off (by more or - gulp - LESS), but I've also been measuring large for quite a while now (and getting big weight estimates - and head measurements - on ultrasounds from early on, such they considered bumping up my due date at some point) That, and I can FEEL that he's big. I don't have much hope of a small baby, I think.

KaleighJean - I've already told my doctor that I WILL NOT STAND for any suspicion about labor, given advance 'false labor' pains. They will have to forceably evict from the hospital.

They told me Baby O was 8lbs at 35 weeks and I vowed not to eat for 5 weeks. Turns out I went in to labor a week later and he was a wee 5 lbs. Not that, you know, my experience is like THE END ALL of experiences (oh, it is!) ;-)

I think four eyes and two noses is all the rage in inter-uterine kids these days.

If I can get a 10 pounder pulled out of me like a football out of the hose of a vacuum you'll be allriiii! Don't you hate hearing that? Don't you hate the visual? I envy you the new bald soft head to kiss.

Anonymous (11:18am) - thanks so much for your comment on Tanner. Stories like that give us hope. It's just that his condition is deteriorating faster than expected - he wasn't expected to be full-time in a wheelchair so soon, and to have lost other abilities. Still, we hope and pray. Thanks so much for your story.

The estimated weight we had after my 36 week ultrasound with my surogate son was 7 and a half pounds. I was scared to death. When he was born at 38 weeks he weighed 7 and a half pounds. So either he didn't grow at all or that ultrsound estimate was way off. Don't be worried, I bet your son will be perfectly sized.

Hey, my babies so far have been 10 pounds and 9.5 pounds, respectively. With #3 due in September, if I can get down into the eights, I will dance the happy butt dance 'till Christmas...

And, yes, they were both delivered vaginally. They were also both the biggest babies in the hospital nursery, and cuter than those other babies by miles and miles. (I *might* have been a wee bit prejudiced on that count.)

I was a nine pound baby. My mother gave birth to me vaginally, at home, with no pain medication. No forceps necessary.

She is 5'3". Before she was pregnant with me, she weighed about 120 lbs. So we are talking a small woman here.

Her labor WAS 18 hours, but really, that is not out of the normal range for first-time labors. And her two subsequent babies were just as big as I had been, and both of those labors were significantly shorter.

PLENTY of women birth big babies without major issues. I really do think you will be fine.

My little boy was estimated at 9 pounds two weeks before my due date. Eights days after my due date he was born at just under 8 1/2 pounds. I say take those estimates with a grain of salt.

On another note - I worked with kids with MD for 15 summers. Some of the best times of my life! I still keep in touch with several of the boys. Many of them have gone to and graduated from college by now. I've seen many of them do some amazing things. I've also sadly lost some of them along the way. As much as I can, I understand your pain. I may not be genetically related to them, but they have lived in my heart for years. It's a cruel disease...for the children and for their families. You, your nephew, and your family are in my thoughts.

You're officially more pregnant than I've ever been. My daughter came at 35 weeks - 6lbs 12oz - and my son at 36 weeks - 7lbs even - and both were perfectly healthy. My daughter had a touch of jaundice and spent one extra day in the hospital, but since then has been horselike in her health, assuming there's any accuracy to that cliche.

Both weighed 10 pounds on their due dates. I'm all for an early birth.

I know you're getting lots of antecdotes here, but I'll add mine: I have 3 boys, the smallest was 8 lbs 10 oz, the largest 9 lbs. I had them all vaginally, without any meds. I'm average build, 5'5" and 130 prepreg. You can do this, but if there is any problem thank God we have great medical resources who can do almost anything these days!

By the way, in my experience as well as others' I know, the second one comes a lot faster than the first, which I think is good news! (My first labor took 20 hours, my second only 4!!)

Just ahead of you... 37 weeks, 3 days and also with a chunky monkey. I've had SEVERAL U/S that say he is big. At 35 weeks, he was estimated at 8.5 lbs. EEK! My daughter was born at 41.5 weeks, 23 hours of labor, 2.5 hrs of pushing and only weighed 7lbs 4 oz. Week 36 showed him measuring a 41.5 week sized belly.... he is gonna be big. I can tell he is HEAVY compared to my first, who continues to be small at age 3.... I want him OUT NOW... but no inducement until 40 weeks... SIGH... We CAN do it. Just keep chanting... We CAN do it....

Medical estimates might be wrong, but in my ever so humble opinion, when it comes to second babies if you think he's a big fella, then he's going to be a big fella.

good luck with that!

By the way, just in case his nose is squished, I was born with a nose squashed across my face. It took me a week or so to straighten out.

My pal Kate just had her second baby. Her first words (Kate's, not the baby's of course) were 'My, aren't you a funny looking thing'. For her at least, there was a lot of love and awe going on, but not in the same unquestioning, adoring way of the first.

Yeah, yeah, what they all said. We pulled my baby 2 weeks early because he was supposed to be gigantic, but he was only 8 lbs. Looking back I do wish I hadn't been so worried and had just let nature take its course.

But really, I just wanted to pipe in with "remember your bucket." Although I hear a good caulking does wonders.;)

Pictures from the inside are great, but I can't wait to see pictures of your beautiful son on the outside!

My twins were born 10 weeks early and were measured at 3lbs 8oz and 1lb 5oz and arrived the same day at 3lb 10oz and 1lb 7oz. Both are beautiful 13 month old boys now weighing in at 20lbs 8oz and 14lbs 8oz respectively. I wish you a beautiful vaginal delivery since I didn't get one myself. May the drugs be strong and the labor be short!!!

I've had 3 babies, weights: 7'12", 8'2" and 9'5". And the extra weight doesn't matter. Trust me. It's the size of the noggin that hurts. So, as long as you don't have a Charlie Brown baby, you're fine.

I've had 3 babies, weights: 7'12", 8'2" and 9'5". And the extra weight doesn't matter. Trust me. It's the size of the noggin that hurts. So, as long as you don't have a Charlie Brown baby, you're fine.

Yeah that whole estimate thing is a crock. They 'estimated' that my first son was going to be on the large side of 8lbs. Bullshit! That bubba was 11lb 3oz of Charlie Brown head through my ever so tiny special place. And even though they say big babies sleep better that is a lie too. Big babies are HUNGRY! All. The. Time.

When hubby finally convinced me to revisit the pregnancy thing I begged and pleaded for them to induce me early as to prevent a toddler walking out of my uterus. Thankfully God heard my prayers and I had an emergency induction at just under 35 weeks. He was 8 lbs 10 oz - 5+ weeks early!! I still shudder at what he could have been going full term!!

So there is my happiness and love post to make you feel better. You DO feel better now - right?? :)

All I can say is my second boy was big at 8lbs 5oz, but the entire birth was only 40min from start to finish. No time for drugs even if I had wanted them. So here's hoping it's either over really really fast or you get lots and lots of drugs.

Watch this woman, she had a HUGE baby that she had to be sectioned for too.And the fact of the matter was... the baby was tiny, immature lungs and all. Moms anaesthesia was NOT working either.Get as far away from that OB as you can.They are setting you up for a slaughter!

Anon - my OB has no intention of giving me a c-section. My comment to her, noted, in my last post was tongue-in-cheek. Which is not to say that I don't have my moments of wanting this baby out BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE, but at the moment, no. That was meant to convey my desperation.

I have nothing to compare it too.....I've had two "big" babies (both 9 1/2 lbs). I don't really think it was that bad, but then again, I've never pushed out a 7lb er so who knows. But......what's so wrong with big babies? Back before the c section rate was alarmingly high, women had them all the time, no problem. Big babies mean more baby chub to love! I'm 34 weeks and crossing my fingers for a 10lber. :)

one smarmy mama - I have nothing against big babies - Wonderbaby was big, though it was in her giant head - it's just that a) I am so freaking MASSIVE and in constant pain from the false labor and MASSIVOSITY of my belly that it's hard to not feel a little frustrated, and b) I had a very difficult birth with Madame Big Head and am not looking forward to another one.